As the last week of classes comes to a close, spring break looms on the horizon. It's hard not to get caught up in the excitement, as even those without any plans simply are happy to receive a brief respite from their academic rigors. Those traveling to tropical locales - who have my envy - are understandably thrilled. Regardless of one's intentions, though, spring break can offer more than just a get-away from life. In fact, it could be a study of it.
It's only a week, but a week in which we're removed from our usual environments, which creates a unique opportunity to place things in perspective.
It's an opportunity to contemplate the path you are on, if you are where you want to be, and what will be required to reach your ultimate destination. A bit heavy for spring break? Not only is such self-clarification essential in so many ways, but it could be relaxing. Even if you think you're sure of these things, a second look might reveal information you never thought was there. Hidden beneath the surface could be hidden aspirations, unsought alternatives or conflicts in need of resolution. The truth, even when painful or frustrating, is always liberating.
Too often I see people who seem stuck in a rut, following a path they never meant to go down and convinced there are no alternatives. I think there are several possible explanations for this disturbing phenomenon. They simply could be in denial - convinced they actually desire their present conditions. They might feel their current lot is not the result of their own choices and is therefore beyond their control.
They might even cling to the mystical notion of predestination, convinced their fates are already scripted by vast forces we can't understand. Frankly, these are all delusions that must be avoided. Those who subscribe to them have lost touch with life's values, choosing instead to trudge among the living dead.
By virtue of the spare time it brings, spring break offers a chance to celebrate one of life's most significant values, one ignored by all of the above falsities. What I am referring to is the incredible, but oft disregarded human faculty of volition.
Come again? Free will, the most liberating of all truths. It is the tool with which all great feats have been accomplished and all seemingly insurmountable problems solved. Although all of us possess it, it's also a blank check. For starters, those who want to use it for good have to be aware of its existence. It is easy to ignore free will and chalk up all of one's setbacks to forces beyond control, but there is no reward in this.
Then there are the philosophical doubters who would ask How can we know for sure that we're in control? coupled with the political Leftists convinced the world is defined by dog-eat-dog exploitation and the hegemony of social institutions.
Quite the mouthful? Yes, and one that doesn't taste good. To the first set of doubters, I would use spring break as an example. The first thing you must do is decide how you will spend it, proof that decisions are yours and no one else's. The second camp never received the memo that we live in a capitalist democracy, the only system that allows individuals to thrive. Don't fight it, embrace it.
As for the rest of us, spring break is a chance to celebrate our free will and our democratic rights that allow us to use it in any lawful way we please. Once you have recognized and embraced your control over your own destiny, this week of down-time is a chance to make sure that you are on the right path.
If you find that you aren't, only you can change that. From there, the cosmos is the limit. In accordance, there is no reason this can't be the most fun, safe and even self-actualizing spring break of all time.
- Joe Vance is a sophomore journalism major. Send him an e-mail at jv407004@ohiou.edu.
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Joe Vance
